All images © DC Comics, Inc.

Some days I feel really lucky. Today, sitting here working away, I had delivered to my door two terrific books from DC, both oversized, deluxe, beautifully printed and produced books that I will have a fine time pouring over, studying, and enjoying. The FABLES COVERS book, celebrating the art of James Jean, is the kind of retrospective usually reserved for artists late in their career. James, that talented young man, gets this one before reaching the age of thirty. I loved his work from the very first cover, but they just kept getting better, and all the while James stayed humble, modest, and retained a sense of reality and humor about his work. How many artists in comics can say that? Alas, he’s about to retire from doing Fables covers to produce more of his personal work that is also is quite wonderful. You can learn more on his website. We, the FABLES crew, wish him all the best.

If I had to pick one of the four volumes of ABSOLUTE SANDMAN as my favorite, I think it would be this one. Sure, SANDMAN 50, “Ramadan” is my favorite single issue, but this book has my favorite of the long stories, “The Kindly Ones,” where Neil brilliantly draws together all the threads from past stories into a wonderful new tapestry, then burns it. Also here is the final issue, perhaps the only comic that ever made me cry. Buy them if you can!